Anime is a huge and successful industry. With the amount of merchandise that follows their manga and TV shows, it’s one of Japan’s biggest international cash bags.
Hardcore manga and anime fans/collectors, also known as “otaku” can spend hundreds upon thousands of dollars on merchandise. From collector’s edition DVDs, plushies, figurines, signed posters, to jointed dolls, it’s easy for a fan to cry over an empty wallet at a common anime convention.
In the world of anime collectors though, there are what we call “bootleg” items. To be bootleg is to be cheap, fake, and just cheesy looking. Imagine trying to make a replica of an expensive figurine and the copy going terribly wrong.
It’s the bootleg items that inspired this list because bootleg toys are definitely the worst out there. While some may look like the real deal, most definitely show their value as a bad copy. Prepare yourself for some silly anime merchandise in this list.
On the other hand, we will also list some of the most expensive and quality merchandise out there. This will make the bad toys look all the worse after all!
30 Lame: Bootleg Goku Figure
It finally happened. Goku screamed so intensely while going Super Saiyan that he dislocated his jaw.
It’s common in bootleg figures that they used to be something else and got repainted to a more popular character.
If that’s the case for this one, what sort of monster lies underneath this paint job?
The figure also just looks dirty, like it was found in a dumpster after weeks of being weathered. Goku doesn’t deserve to be made into nightmare fuel.
29 Lame: Spheal Bootleg
Pokémon bootlegs are everywhere. Since the popularity explosion of Pokémon Go, even more of these are popping up. A lot of these toys show that the maker did not even try. It’s like a draft made by a machine they are trying to teach to be a creative artist.
At least they got the colors right for this one. Sometimes these bootlegs do not even pick the correct colors for the Pokémon. Some of them are beyond recognizable even.
28 Fortune: Life Size Ayanami Rei
Standing at five feet and three inches tall, this figurine is like having the actual character living in your house. Evangelion’s character designer, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, even supervised the making of this life-sized figurine.
In the Otaku Mode website, this large figure sold for about seven thousand dollars.
What else can you do with that money? Add on to your house? Start your own business? Who needs those things when a life-sized Ayanami Rei can be in your presence?
27 Lame: Vintage Sailor Moon Doll
To be fair, the vintage quality of this toy makes this a worthy collectible. The doll is no bootleg, but it seems like one doesn’t it? That most annoying aspect of this toy is her lack of a nose. Some anime toys manage to remain cute without a nose, but this one definitely does not. It looks blatantly obvious and strange.
Her crown looks cheap. It’s clear plastic instead of gold-looking. Her hair is missing those iconic pigtail buns. There is just a lot missing.
26 Lame: Bootleg Sasuke
The shape and facial expression of this Sasuke figure is an enigma. We are guessing that he’s supposed to look angry by showing those gritting teeth but instead it looks dumb and embarrassing. It’s like he’s a South Park parody version of himself.
Why are his legs so thick?
Is he supposed to be a cookie jar or piggy bank? You can store cookies and money in those legs. This angle also makes his head look a little banana shaped.
25 Fortune: HY2M Hyper Hybrid Model Gundam
This five foot tall Gundam model is a kid’s dream come true. Not only is this figure huge, it has fifteen different retro sounds and parts that light up with a remote control. This looks like it belongs in an anime museum! It even comes with a beam saber, beam rifle, and shield. Basically, it will come to your house in boxes and you have to assemble him.
The massive figure has sold for about eight thousand dollars.
24 Lame: Bootleg Levi
When it comes to bootlegs, a lot of them are Nendoroids like this Levi. For those that don’t know, Nendoroid’s are figures that are known to be designed in the chibi-style which a large head and smaller body.
This Levi has been cursed with a horribly designed face.
His eyes are pointing in different directions! Imagine him swinging a forest or city around with iguana eyes darting around looking for titans. Apparently, that’s what this figure thinks of Levi.
23 Lame: Saber Bootleg
From the Fate Stay Night series, Saber is a very popular character with tons of merchandise. She’s a beautiful girl in armor who is good at fighting, so what’s not to love? Of course, you would love a figure of her to add to your collection.
This Saber bootleg had made a lot of rounds around the internet for its insane awfulness. With a miserable face like that, this Saber knows it’s a bootleg. It’s self-aware and begging you to not buy it.
22 Fortune: Dissected Life Size Astro Boy
This may be one of the most expensive pieces of anime merchandise out there. Selling for twenty-five thousand dollars, this figure is four feet tall and has LED lights on the inside.
The sellers online are expecting this piece to be bought by a museum rather than just a super-rich fan.
The figurine dates back to the early 80s, so it’s not only awesome on its own but its old enough to be vintage. Astro Boy merchandise is expensive ordinarily, but this one takes the cake.
21 Lame: Bootleg Madoka
Puella Magi Madoka Magica has a lot of Nendoroid figures on the market. This is because the show’s art style is so cutesy despite its dark reveal. With the many figures around, there are of course many Puella Magi Madoka Magica bootlegs.
This would be even funnier it was Mami. Get it? No spoilers here but those who watched the anime get it. It’s not Mami though. It’s the protagonist Madoka and her head is ascended from her neck.
20 Lame: Frieza Bootleg
There are endless Dragon Ball Z bootlegs out there. Frieza has a number of forms, this attempt being the 3rd form. To be fair, the 3rd form is already ugly. It’s ugly enough that this bootleg is recognizable at least.
This looks like Frieza is wearing pants and pulled them up as high as possible.
The figure has fleshy baby hands instead of gloves. The paint job looks like it came from a junkyard. We don’t even want to see the attempt at the tail.
19 Fortune: Volks Saber Doll
Loves dolls, anime, and have a ton of money? Then Volks is your company. Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Volks was only known as a hobby shop at first. Now it’s known for its beautiful joint dolls that impersonate anime characters and Lolita fashion. The word Lolita should be enough to know that these dolls are not cheap. For example, this Saber doll would sell for at least six hundred dollars. If you want to collect joint dolls, you need a fat wallet.
18 Lame: Bootleg Pikachu Ride
The real question is what is not wrong with this image? What creature did they repaint to look like Pikachu for this to look so wrong? Why are there fat rolls on its neck?
Why are its nails painted?
They gave up painting the inside of its mouth. Pikachu’s little red blush cheeks are not symmetrical. Its eyes are horrifying voids and the little white dots do not help. How much does it cost to ride? Better question: How much can we pay to make it go away?
17 Lame: Yu-Gi-Oh “Fancy Card” Bootlegs
Yes, the box behind them is advertising a game called “Fancy Cards.” It comes complete with Yugi, Seto Kaiba, and the Dark Magician. Maybe it won’t feel so complete though since we can say that the Yugi and Kaiba figures look like aliens. The worst part is Yugi’s giant insane eyes. They are pointing in different directions. Animate him and he’d make a good YouTube parody character. As for Kaiba, we can barely see his eyes! How will he see his “Fancy Cards?”
16 Fortune: One Piece Brook Guitar
This is no ordinary cosplay prop but an actual working electric guitar! One Piece has been one of Japan’s most popular animes, so their merchandise is diverse. The guitar is Brook’s, a character who is a skeleton and musician of the Straw Hat Pirates.
The guitar was made by Shimamura Music, a Tokyo-based music company.
It costs about two thousand five hundred dollars. With that money, it also comes with its own case, strap, and certificate. It’s the perfect item for an anime fan and musician.
15 Lame: Bootleg Dragon Ball Z Clock
Of course, this is the first thing you want to see by your bedside when you wake up in the morning. What’s surreal about this bootleg is we have a character both outside and inside the clock. Why? They look like two separate objects that were glued together. What’s scary is the Super Saiyan is looking down at the clock, like he knows it’s there and is happy that it’s there. Also, his feet are big enough that he should star in the next Kingdom Hearts.
14 Lame: Super-Size Peach Figure
As you may have guessed from the packaging, this is not a bootleg. In fact, Mario and Luigi look great in this figure line. However Peach just came out strange. Why did they make her look so awkward and unhappy?
If her mouth looked any different, that could make a major positive difference.
Mario is more of a Nintendo game but due to its popularity and hailing from Japan, of course it has also been an anime. Hence this strange Peach has made it on our list.
13 Fortune: Gold Sagittarius Cloth
From Saint Seiya, this Sagittarius Cloth figure is made of pure gold! It weighs four pounds and is about six inches tall. It was made to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Bandai’s Saint Seiya figurine line. According to the Kawaii Kakkoii Sugoi website, this figure costs about six hundred thousand dollars.
There are far cheaper alternatives of this figurine on Amazon for just ninety dollars if you’re not insanely rich or prefer this figurine to a house.
12 Lame: Bootleg Celebi
What has society done to our favorite time traveling onion fairy? It looks like an alien figure you would get for twenty-five cents on your way out of a mall. It looks like something you’d find on a walk in the woods.
It looks like something no one would want.
Celebi is a legendary Pokémon that is known to be cute, making this figure more of an abomination to fans. Its belly is oddly big too, like it got ran over and flattened on a road.
11 Lame: Mario And Yoshi Bootleg
What? No Mario or Yoshi here, just Martin and Dino!
It’s obvious this is Mario and Yoshi. You can’t sell them as anything else because they are so famous.
Besides just the odd fake names, the physical designs have their own lameness to them.
Like why is Yoshi shaped like he’s a boat? The glowing eyes are a hilarious touch, like Yoshi is possessed by a demon. The little photo on the box also makes it look like they move at light speed.